Anniversary Surprise
by coonassblondie
Summary: Charlie had a surprise for Hermione, but it didn't turn out quite as he expected.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Harry Potter characters, and I'm certainly not making any money off of them, or my student loan company would see fit to leave me alone.

**Rating: **General Audiences, at the moment

**A/N:** Here's just a work drabble I wrote while I was killing time earlier. Thought I would share it with everyone. I hope you enjoy it, and let me know in a review, good or bad. I accept anonymous reviews (although I can't reply withot an e-mail address). I think my little drabble has potential, and if I get enough response, I'll add another chapter. Thanks for reading!

"Bloody buggering hell!"

The irate curse came from an equally irate red-haired wizard. He couldn't figure out how she did it. She always made it look so _easy_!

"Urgh...what a mess!" Charlie Weasley mumbled to himself after taking a few deep calming breaths as he glanced around the kitchen of the burrow. The floor was slick with egg white, where he had dropped one earlier, then attempted a half-hearted _scourgify_. He was never very good at cleaning charms. He raked his eyes over the counter-tops and shook his head slightly at the white powder that had managed to settle on everything as he had attempted to sift flour into a small mixing bowl.

How was he supposed to know that it was a magic sifter and would start automatically? He had watched her do this so many times, but it had never occurred to him that his mother's kitchen would be so different than his fiancé's. He had wanted everything to be perfect. As usual, all he accomplished was to make a mess, and she would be there...

"Anyone home?"

...anytime now. He groaned and plunked his bottom into a kitchen chair, propping his elbows on the table and placing his head in his hands after raking his fingers through his hair, leaving white streaks through the dark red.

"Charles Prewett Weasley, what in Merlin's name happened in here?" came the usually soft feminine voice, which was now bordering on shrill. "Your mum is going to kill you, you know."

Charlie groaned in response before looking up at her. Gods, she was beautiful, even in her ministry robes, hair pulled back in a severe bun.

He had thanked Merlin for the day that Hermione Granger stepped onto that dragon reserve and into his life. He groaned slightly at her and mumbled incoherently into his hands.

"What was that, Charlie? I didn't understand you..."

"I said I was trying to make a cake." He mumbled, now looking down at his apron-clad lap.

Hermione did her best to hold in an indelicate snort. Here was Charlie, brawny dragon-trainer extraordinaire, covered from head to toe in flour and swathed in one of Molly's flowery pink aprons. She couldn't hold it in any longer, and let out a shriek of girlish giggles. She tried to catch her breath as Charlie gave her a longsuffering look.

"Charlie...oh Charlie...you made me a cake...oh, that's so sweet.

"I wasn't exactly aiming for sweet...romantic. Or sexy. Not sweet."

"But cake is sweet. So are you. Now, what are we going to do about this mess? And for Merlin sakes, _please_ take off that apron?" _because it's not helping any_...Hermione added silently while holding in another bout of giggles.

"You'll help me? I was never much as household charms. And be careful, there's egg on the floor...I, um, slipped in it earlier and well...poof!"

At his mumbled admission, Hermione got a mental picture and all of her self-control went out of the window. She burst out laughing. She knew he was embarrassed, but she couldn't help it. As she wiped the tears from her eyes, she waved her wand in an intricate pattern at the kitchen and everything set about righting itself. Soon the room was in the same shape Molly had left it in that morning.

"Now, love, let's go get us some dinner, maybe even some cake" She smiled as she pulled the knot loose from the apron and laid it on the weather-beaten table. She looked up at her handsome man and pecked him on the lips before continuing, "It's the thought that counts.

He smiled back at her before kissing her deeply, pulling away only long enough to reply huskily, "Happy anniversary, Hermione."

**Please review! Reviews are like crack for us fanfic authors!**


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